They meet in a tavern
Added 2022-05-19 17:47:09 +0000 UTCArtwork just a little early. Enjoy!
Hope you'll all survive until tomorrow's double chapter post!
Comments
That chapter (319) and picture above finally drove me to use Patreon to get chapters ahead of time... Darn you!
Michael Neal
2022-07-17 03:58:46 +0000 UTCon reflection, not a lot I'll admit, what I like most about that pic is that E seems profoundly happy and at peace, and there hasn't been a lot of that (largely due to narrative needs...(glares at author, shakes finger in warning to play nicely with their toys!)). ;) The visibly distinct layers are interesting, and I'm a sucker for anything w/ neat, strong lighting like that I'll admit (i'm obv a hopper fan, ofc).
fbt
2022-05-29 06:24:56 +0000 UTCI don't get the specifics, either, but it's pretty strongly implied these two are a recurring set of paired souls, and each of them has had their counterpart die and prayed to be reunited..the goddesses said ok here you go and boom (moving E forward 10k yrs to I's time via fey foolery). Somehow they're instances of the two paired souls, but from different iterations. The details and timeline are pretty vague, to me, tbh, but that much seems pretty clear? Think Xena/Gab fanfic (which really beat the daylights out of this idea decades ago, but rather sweetly at times).
fbt
2022-05-29 06:17:02 +0000 UTCok, that's adorable
fbt
2022-05-29 06:11:29 +0000 UTCThe soul thing isn't really clicking with me either, but I suppose souls being timeless would mess with any normal understanding of chronology. Considering multiple simultaneous incarnations of the same soul put the absurd thought that Elaine and Iona (Dawn and Dusk) could be different incarnations of Selene and Lunaris into my head, though. It makes more sense for them to be champions of the moon goddesses, but now that the thought has started, I can't get it out of my mind.
AntiClimax she her
2022-05-20 14:53:45 +0000 UTCIt's not so much that there is time travel, but simply that time does not exist in the realm of the dead, at least not in any linear sense. There is no before or after for the dead. They simply exist beyond time. We have seen examples of achronological reincarnation in Lux aka Elaine.
Melting Sky
2022-05-20 13:27:38 +0000 UTCTime jumping backwards is impossible in the story, but the Selkie hinted that Souls don't respect the timeline. Elaine could be the reincarnation of Lux.
Shoto
2022-05-20 12:43:56 +0000 UTC@MeltingSky this time-travelling soul incarnation idea doesn't make any sense. By what definition is Lux prior incarnation to Elaine? And there is no world-building reason why Lux and Elaine couldn't meet. Also, officially, backwards time-travelling is not a part of BTDEM. Besides, we have common well-known evidence that a single soul can inhabit multiple bodies simultaneously. When people class-up, the guide is an incarnation powered by the system. The reason why multiple incarnations almost never get to meet is simple - chances are too small. And even if they met they wouldn't realise it unless they were capable of soul-magic.
Alexey Gladkich
2022-05-20 10:38:16 +0000 UTCMy guess is that in the realm of the Gods and the dead time simply does not exist in the same linear manner that it does on the material plane. We've never seen the same soul reincarnated multiple instances at the same time on the material plane, but we have seen them reincarnated achronologically. By that I mean Lux is either an earlier reincarnation of Elaine or one that comes after her current life, at least from her own perspective although since she would be mind-wiped I guess that isn't really true but you can see what I'm getting at. This actually would provide a very compelling reason for why soul's are mind-wiped between reincarnations. It would be the best way to prevent causality paradoxes. You could get away with not mind wiping a soul but only if it was done on completely different worlds like with Elaine or you would start messing up the timelines.
Melting Sky
2022-05-20 09:57:48 +0000 UTC@Lupusregina Iona is a reincarnation of Lyra. Same with Elaine and Lux. Not sure how come Elaine and Lux existed at the same time, albeit in different worlds, but that's how it is. Probably, a single soul can have multiple incarnations simultaneously.
Alexey Gladkich
2022-05-20 05:33:11 +0000 UTCWait, what? When did they kill each other
Lupusregina
2022-05-20 05:24:37 +0000 UTCElaine has prayed to have Lyra back a few times, though it wasn't highlighted as much.
Benjamin Smith
2022-05-20 03:26:31 +0000 UTCYou make us feel special Selkie, because you're just that amazing! Thank you!
elijah pickett
2022-05-20 03:25:03 +0000 UTCOK, I'm apparently slow. Iona keeps wishing for Lux to be brought back, but what has Elaine wished for that brings these timelines together?
Eric
2022-05-20 03:08:25 +0000 UTCThank you very much! Time to get reading.
Eric
2022-05-20 01:25:35 +0000 UTCI suppose you could not read the interludes and learn about Iona and the new setting as Elaine does. Now I'm wondering if I should have waited! Jk, but still, that would be an interesting way to encounter this new arc.
AntiClimax she her
2022-05-20 01:24:02 +0000 UTCThis scene is adorable. Elaine is practically glowing. She is so flushed even her ears have turned red. We've been waiting a long time for these two star-crossed souls to meet again after thousands of years apart and both suffering the cruel fate of having accidentally killed the other.
Melting Sky
2022-05-20 01:05:21 +0000 UTCVery, your missing the entire backstory of what Selkie expects people to know about the current world and who Iona is and why it's important. Iona's wish is one of the main reasons why Elaine and pals are in this timeline. You can read it here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/51389/valkyries-dawn
Robert
2022-05-20 00:44:40 +0000 UTCThat's just gorgeous. Awesome work.
Lopriest Erotic Arts
2022-05-20 00:25:24 +0000 UTCHeh... this is really helping me get through the misery of my last day of finals
Alan Martin
2022-05-19 23:34:58 +0000 UTCSo as someone that didn't really pay attention to the Iona stories, how lost am I going to be?
Eric
2022-05-19 23:31:22 +0000 UTCYessss!!!!! So excited!! I forgot Iona can speak all languages!!!
Allora Lee
2022-05-19 21:31:32 +0000 UTCExcellent timing. This mildly sooths my craving for more.
a passing Fnord
2022-05-19 21:30:51 +0000 UTC
